Hot Dog Run

Three days out of Mega City 1, the cadets were finally fitting into the saddles of their law masters. Sixteen hour days in the saddle took their toll, and any opportunity to stretch their legs and walk for a bit was welcomed.

They passed small mutie communities and the first of a series of the northern Iso Blocks that held the most serious of criminals from the city, guarded by a handful of judges and mostly Mechanismo robots. But they stuck to the hills and the dry river valleys to keep all sight of the Tec Division equipment they were towing, and made as good time as possible in the Cursed Earth.

The only curious incident was a Mutie that walked into their camp one night, who introduced himself as Cyclops Joe, a quick scan by Cadet Bethesda ensured them he meant no harm, and that maybe his pre-cog abilities may even help them out – this was not to be the case. Joe kept to himself and wandered off into the desert, with a cheery wave and an offer of help at anytime the Judges were passing by.

It turned out that the transport the mutants were using to get back to Cursed Earth Iso Block 23 had it’s robot driver overpowered by an unknown group of mutants, who engineered the escape of the three killers, who made their way, under instruction, to spaceship junkyard on the edge of the old lakes.

Steptoe Spaceship JunkyardWas the size of a city sector, kilometre after kilometre of junked ships, cruise liners, alien warships, with thousands of places to hide. The wner gave the judges as much support as he could and directed them to one of the more recent ships that seemed to be in good enough condition to take off.

The cadets cornered the perps within a shuttle, quickly disposed of the three robots they had hacked together to provide any support, and when on ordering them to stand down, the perps opened fire, two of the murders, Ben “Bones” McCoyand Terry Collins were incinerated in the course of the arrest of Ismael.

There wasn’t much evidence recovered from the robots, a serial number with the name Content Not Found: alain-debotan and a group called Knights Simon Templar

The only other information gathered from interrogating Ishmael was that he didn’t want to go back to that Iso Cube and claimed that the science station was experimenting on prisoners.

Keep Safe Out There

A stickler for dress. For conduct, for the correct administration of the law.

A bad attitude to one betrays a bad attitude to the others.

I will not tolerate a bad attitude.

You are here because Chief Judge Franscisco thinks the city needs more clones. All I know is that this city needs good judges, and all of you come from good judging stock. Do not besmirch that history.

You are here for one reason.

To serve the law.

Only a few are chosen, a special few. I know of no greater honour than to serve as a judge of Mega City one, it is a privilege granted to only a few, but it is a privilege that we must earn and continue to earn.

You will carry out your duties here in sector 88, and in the course of your duty you will serve the Chief Judge and Myself to the best of your ability.

We have rid this sector of the crime lords, the drug dealers and the slave traders that have sullied this sector for years, but nature abhors a vacuum. There are criminal elements waiting to charge in and take over, in that moment, as the balance of power shifts, we expect the terrorists you are charged with seeking out and destroying, will need to surface, regroup and form new alliances.

This is the gap in their armour by which you will strike.

Whatever support this sector can give you, we will provide. Central has also agreed to give you extra ordinary support – see that you don’t abuse it.

Now dismissed, report to Judge Hossler at 06:00 hours, you are on A Watch, Judge LaFrance’s your commander.

Operation Marmaduke – Vid Star illegal tapping of communications, may have some involvement of PSU

Operation Total Judging – commitment to have more patrols, more visible Judge presence, and to cut down on personal crime in sector. Targeting violent criminals, rather than white collar crime. Each patrol has targets of violent criminals to arrest, Tappers, street robbers.
This also involves drug crime

Operation Corporate Manslaughter

Ongoing investigation into incompetence in business

Reported levels of crime.

It hotted up last night between Bateman and Bloch block juves. More fighting in the street, this time with blasters. Along with pacifying this action, any information on how they are arming themselves will go a long way.

The Mae West muties, are marching today. Freedom and rights marches, PSU are providing Surveillance, Tek division will be on standby with heavy ordnance, we need high visibility in the region of the sector secretariat building, all patrols be prepared for anything going wrong.

There are still Fatties protesting outside of the illegal eating hall we shut down last week. I don’t want this to last any longer. If they are not gone by tomorrow, break them up.

A group of Grannies where tapping cits on the skedways last night, descriptions will be sent to your vehicles.

Skinheads were causing trouble at Charles Arthur Block, more reports of underground explosions at Nikola Tesla block and yet another illegal sky surf board run along the Atlantic wall last night. It shows up gaps in our patrols, we don’t want any illegal,immigrants using our own gaps in intelligence against us.

Patrol

In discussion with Hossler, the clones decided to lend a hand in securing the route for the Chief Judges arrival in sector. Having just come from his office, and actively working for Chief Fransciso, it seemed appropriate that they should also keep an eye on his security.

And it was worth it.

The team split into two squads. Simian and Foe decided to do some background checking on possible terrorists, getting up to speed on who may be looking to move into the power vacuum left behind by the arrests of the mob bosses. The remaining judges started a patrol of the sector.

Something caught the eye of Judge Void as she slowed her lawmaster to glide through a crowd outside the Drama-A-Rama on a mid level plaza near Bateman block. Something about the build of the perp, and the long coat he was wearing was a giveaway that a crime was about to be committed – and as Judge Foe addressed the perp, he pulled a home made weapon from under his coat, and pulled a passing elderly Citizen into a threatening hold, had time to say something about Mutant Rights, before falling under the glare of the judges eyes, realised what he was doing and gave himself up.

Minutes after reading him his crimes and sentencing him, a young punk, high on a skedway, aroused the Judges suspicion. Obviously a lookout for a juvie gang by his colours, and using their knolwedge of the area, suspected he was covering for an ped underpass that ran under the Megway Intersect to some warehouses at the east of Robert Bloch Block.

Taking a surreptitious route to the other end of the tunnel, the judges disturbed a robbery in progress. The perps fled into the tunnel and the Judges gave chase. A warning was shouted and the perps returned fire, only for Judge Bliss to open up with her lawgiver and take down the two fleeing perps. The lookout got away.

Later Central confirmed that the juves belonged to the Psychos Phor Ever gang and were wanted in connection for a number of other crimes.

Something about the open village plaza, struck a chord with the Judges, and a scan of the skyline showed that the Atlantic Broadcasting Companies roof gave a great sniping vantage point, and so, they swung by there.

A short talk with the building security revealed that the top five floors of the building were currently unoccupied due to construction work in progress. There was no contact with the construction crew. The judges decided to take a look.

Taking the lift to the 70th floor, the doors opened and the halls were draped in construction plastic sheets, and seemingly empty, turning the corner at the lifts, a group of three men were patrolling the corridor, no workman would be carrying such heavy weaponry and Judge Bliss called out a warning for them to drop their weapons and come quietly. That wasn’t going to happen. The perps opened fire and the Judges shot back. One of the perps died, but the other two lay down their guns and were cuffed to nearby fixtures, as the judges decided where to go next, a droid hovered from the next lift lobby. At a glance it was a maintenance droid, but its nail gun and las saw were not in as secured position, it opened fire on the judges. They opened the only set of doors off the corridor, only to walk into a glass reception room with three more armed perps on the other side of the glass.

Everything shattered and exploded as shots were exchanged across the room.

The team split in two, and Judges Bliss and Void attempted to attack the perps from a door further along the corridor. Once they had destroyed the maintenance droid, they kicked the door in, rolling in, covering each other with arcs of fire, and in a split second, spotted a team of six militia in the corner of the room, with four more hovering droids, this time of a more military bent – with military sized weapons attached to them. They opened fire.

Judges bethesda and Liefield, quickly cleared the reception room of perps, and moved on into the main room, to the aid of Foe and Void, who were now taking heavy fire from the war droids. Liefield tossed a Stumm grenade into the corner of the room, which only served to give the armed, and now obviously gas masked militia cover as they spread out into the room, and in the confusion leaving a pair of armed soldiers behind in the room they had come from.

A couple of barked commands could be heard from the room, as who ever was giving instructions prepared an escape route.

Tech Judge Simian finally caught up with the team, and quickly checked the computer terminals at the lift lobby, confirming that the only life forms showing up at this level of the building was on this floor, but that the hover pad on the roof was activated and had a craft ready and waiting to go.

A quick call to central, asking for backup, advised that no street judges were available, but a H-Wagon would be inbound in four minutes.

Simian followed Bethesda and Liefield into the room, and witnessed Liefield at his most magnificent, the militia, where being shot to pieces. Simian hacked into the buildings wireless control systems, and using his knowledge of military bots, quickly over surged their power systems and causing them to momentarily collapse, long enough for the judges to take them out. There was a crash from the other room, and the windows went out on the 70th floor, the leader of this gorup was getting away.

Judge liefield gave a gruff shout and seemed to stand about seven feet tall, and ordered the militia to drop their weapons, and in that moment, they did. Racing to the corner office, the judges were in time to see the perps using repelling harnesses to be pulled rapidly to the roof of the building.

Bliss, Void, Bethesda and Liefield all turned to race for the stairs, while simian jumped out of the seventieth floor window with the carcass of the one remaining war droid in his hands. With a deft manual overide of the hover system, Simian was pulled to the roof, only a heart beat behind the perps. Not allowing them time to get to their craft he let loose a hail of bullets, and pinned them down long enough for the rest of his team to make it to the roof. Shots rang out and the two guards fell, the sniper and the team leader made it to the door of the Hov craft, with the sniper taking up aim to give them time to take off.

Judge Bethesda took his helmet off amid a hail of bullets and seemed to concentrate slightly and then disappeared, only to reappear behind the sniper, distracting him enough for Judge Liefield to riddle the sniper with bullets. Judge Simian made short work of the door to the flight deck, and the final arrest of the day was made.

A Watch Commander Patrol Briefing

Operations

Operation Marmaduke – Lucy LaMore, a political intern for the Sector 88 secretariat has recently made complaints to Justice Department that she believes her diaries, calls and mail have all been intercepted. Ms LaMore is currently working closely with the sector representative to the City Mayor’s office. Further investigation of her complaints are being undertaken by C Watch, Judge Able Carter in charge of the investigation

Operation Total Judging – commitment to have more patrols, more visible Judge presence, and to cut down on personal crime in sector. Targeting violent criminals, rather than white collar crime. Each patrol has targets of violent criminals to arrest, Tappers, street robbers.
This also involves drug crime

UPDATE investigation of the drugs seized from juvies at illegal Atlantic Wall skyboard races indicates that the drugs are being manufactured outside the city walls, in old city block 403, hit during the Apocalypse War. Sector 143 is arranging a patrol of the area. Further reports available from them.

UPDATE A number of gang arrests around Tim T Monkey Block has led to attempts by rival gangs to make headway in the southern hexes. Large gangs of Skinheads have been seen hassling citizens in this area.

UPDATE Juvie Gang Collusion has long been suspected, there has been a recent break in at a sports good branch of “Off The Wall” at Brand Block Mall, any branded sports gear should be checked against the list of stolen items when a Juve is arrested.

Operation Corporate Manslaughter

Ongoing investigation into incompetence in business

ITEM – Another round of Job Interviews at Resyk is expected this week. Announcement of the lucky individual who will get the job is expected next week. Expect unrest at the temporary camp site outside of Resyk

Reported levels of crime.

This is the second week that a number of Mo Pads and Hov Cars have been vandalised at the multi storey Hov Park at the Black Atlantic tunnel park n ride. PSU suspect a number of individuals in separate vehicles may be responsible, be on the look for any suspicious vehicles in that vicinity

The Mae West muties picnic at the municipal park is today, out near the space port. Be on the look out for a back lash from the anti-mutant leagues failed sniper attack. All leave has been cancelled, and a double shift is expected from B and C watch as they provide cover for this event.

ITEM Murder. Body found at Apartment 6452 Eastwood Con Apt, B Watch Med judges confirm foul play, the murder seems to be a copycat killing of The Jack Daw Murders. Judge Ola People has reopened the old case to examine it for clues.

A fight broke out between rival Skinhead and Biker gangs last night near Nikola Tesla block. A number of arrests were made, all low level members of the gangs. Still no reports on where or what the gang leaders are up to.

Sector 75 Judges are reporting that their Wally squad have infiltrated a Skulls Head Skyboard Racing team, and that gossip and chatter is that another race is due to take place tonight. Location unknown

This was an attempt by the Anti Mutant League to assassinate the Chief Judge, who has passed Mutant Equality Laws.

Evidence from the crime scene.

All the droids seemed to have been hacked by the same person. The serial numbers for the override chips have a common link to a crime scene from 12 years ago – the clone judges hotdog run, and the attempted escape of mutants from a cursed earth iso block.

Although there is no evidence now, the only name from back then was Content Not Found: alain-debotan no further criminal activity has been recorded against that name.

Trace from the weapons serial numbers suggests that they are of Hondo City manufacture and were not legally imported into this city.

After deep interrogation of the perp, Washington reveals that he also works for a terrosrist group known as Knights Simon Templar, this is a Pro-Deomocracy group, and either a rival or off shoot of the Total War group. KST were thought to be shut down when their group leader Phil Plato was arrested twelve months ago.

Washington insists that Plato organised his sub-contracting to the AML, that this was all organised by Plato at the request of some third party, and that Plato was free and walking about only two months ago when they met at the Shuggy Bar, No Jacket Required

All the tech provisions for overriding the droids was provided by a character going by the name Content Not Found: alain-debotan, Washington and him never met face to face, but did all their dealigs through a store front at the Tech Bazaar near the Russ Brand Block.

Surf's up

Following on from the interogation of Lincoln Wshington, Tech Judge Von Simian had a contact of his monitor what exactly was going on in the Brand Block Tech Bazaar. Concentraing their investigation on a shop, called Vasally, which is run by a citizen, Eugeny Sidrov. Sidrov is a refugee of East Meg 2, accepted in post the Atomic War. The only details PSU have on this cit, he has an uncle, Valentina Vasiliev, a known gun runner and go-between for the Russian mob, now retired to a private villa in Bermuda. It’s been long suspected that Valentina may have been using his nephew, to gain entry to MC1, but no evidence has ever presented itself.

Sidrov himself is a competent robotics expert, and may be a link to Content Not Found: alain-debotan or even DeBotan himself.

During the course of this surveillance, Geiger Detectors were triggered at the entrance to the Bazaar, moments before all surveillance within the bazaar was cut off. Von Simian’s contact seemed to be able to keep his cameras up for five minutes longer than Justice Department and was able to witness a robot attack at one of the smarter department stores at high level, and also, the four gentlemen with the ‘hot’ briefcase enter Sidrov’s shop, then leave minutes later, and depart through the tunnel systems below the block.

Street Division stopped the car that the four perps had used, and tech Division confirmed that there was enough background radiation to spark a very large bomb.

Judge Gregor Bethesda, during this, had a major Psi flash that whatever was going on in the building was either a trap or a dead end, and even as the Judges rolled off on their Lawmasters, was still seeing visions of an explosion at sea.

Putting two and two together, Bethesda convinced the group that the target they were really looking for was either at sea, or near it, and someting about the surveillance tapes of the No Jacket required bar at the Atlantic sea wall was concerning him.

PSU sent out an alert that Phil Platohad just been seen entering the bar, and as he was supposed to be locked up, this was where they should be next.

As they pulled up to the bar, radio chatter showed that the Bazaar had indeed been a dead end, no sign of the perps, only a few citizens dead in the droid attacks, and the Bazaar was back open for business. PSU also sent out an alert about an illegal SkySurf run that was in progress down the coast at sector 175, which should be reaching their current location within the next quarter of an hour.

Within moments of entering the bar, it was obvious that something was going on in the Shuggy hall below them, three thugs with makeshift weapons were threatening two guys in the shadow of the balcony. The three thugs were identifiable by the gang tats as being members of the Anti Mutant League, and seemed pissed off with whoever was in the shadows. Shots were fired, and the Judges leaped into action, Judge Void firing the first shot and knocking down one of the perps, Judge Bliss the other, and with the commanding voice of Judge Liefield ringing out through the bar, the third thug dropped his weapon and surrendered.

Something happened then, all in a split second. A flash of lightening from the approaching storm lit up the room, and a peel of thunder rattled the three storey atlantic wall windows of the Shuggy Hall, all in the same instant that the glass exploded in and a SkyBoard crashed through the wall. Everything went dark and the screams and shouts of the patrons backing out of the room, fought with the sound of the approaching storm and the lashing acid rain now burning holes in the pool tables. From the mess of glass and SkyBoard on the ground, the rider groaned, rushing to check if they were alright, Judge Liefield pulled himself back at the last minute as the rider lurched to their feet – only with their head twisted fully around and near hanging off, and with a hissing deathly rattle screamed Tooty Fruity at the judges and lurched forward – pausing only for a moment to wonder who had found traces of the 2T(Fru)T plague, liefield fired a high ex into it’s head, noting just before it blew up, that it seemed remarkably well dressed for a zombie.

Even as the pieces of the dead body still squirmed on the floor, comms from central overrode the helmet radios – The Sons of The Constitution had taken over three cruise ships and had armed them with atomic bombs, and where now steaming toward the Atlantic wall intent on causing maximum destruction. H-Wagon scouting of the ships revealed nothing – no lights, no heat signatures, just high levels of radiation from some hastily put together bomb. As the H-wagon swooped lower to investigate some anomalous movement in the shadow of the bow, radio contact was momentarily lost and for the brief moment it returned there was static, explosions and one phrase "Zombies – three thousand zombies on sky-boards, heading your way, repeat … " and then they were gone.

Within minutes, visual confirmation that there were indeed thousands of SkyBoards heading from the ships, in waves ahead of them, with people, obviously the passengers, as hostages. Only once they were within a km of the wall, was it obvious that they were all plague victims.

The judges answered the call to provide additional support for their section of the Atlantic Wall, parking their bikes near Watchtower 13, they oversaw the tech teams manning the long range laser cannon. Over the sound of the overheating cannon, reports of the numbers of targets being hit were called out, along with the estimated time to landfall. With each chug of the cannons, the SkyBoards and their zombie passengers got closer, 500m, 350m, it was obvious that the cannons were not going to do the job. Still over three hundred of the creatures were still standing.

The clones just stared.

200m.

150m.

100m.

Something snapped in Judge Void, she snatched her Lawgiver and ran to the edge of the watchtower railing and started firing Hi-Ex into the remaining swarm of dead people. Knocking only a few from their boards, her action was enough to knock sense into the others. She made a note to have a word with them back at Sector House about their combat readiness. The five other Judges joined her on the balcony and started to fire. The remainder of the watchtower staff grbbed whatever weapons were handy and fired. Still the zombies were coming.

75m

50m

They were on the wall. There were about 50 of the damned left against a dozen Judges. It took less than a minute to wipe them out.

Calls came in up and down the wall. The SkyBoarding zombies had been dealt with. It would only be the following day when they realised that 150 of those victims were youngsters, caught in the cross fire on their illegal SkyBoard race down the wall. For now, the approaching ships and their atomic bombs were what was important.

Two Holocaust Squads were put together to deal with the Boston and Washington bound ships, the clones insisted that they would be the ones to deal with the ship heading this way, and a H-Wagon met them on the pad of the Watchtower to take them to the ship.

Within minutes they were skimming the top of the lumescent waves of the Black Atlantic, the fumes from the oil fires parting in the wake of the Justice Central H Wagon. Out of the mist loomed the prow of the Queen Mary II, the ocean being torn apart by the ship doing 40 knots through the water, twelve storeys of polished metal towered above them as the H-Wagon circled the craft once.

On board detection indicated the ship had been abandoned. The engines were powering away and the wash of radioactivity from the cockpit suggested that if anyone was aboard, they wouldn’t last long, if they survived the blast. In turn all the judges reached for their belt and popped a radiation pill, and made their way to the hatch as the H-wagon set down amidships.

Stopping to deal with a few zombies who had not made it off the ship, the judges approached the two turbo lifts to the cockpit. Splitting up, Judge Von Simian overrode the locks and set both lifts to the bridge, they were expected.

Shots rang out, the bridge lit up with laser fire, and a minute later the six suspects were down, thanks to Void, Liefield and Bliss. Bethesda immediately made his way to the navigation controls and put the ship into reverse and hard to starboard, and in the long minute it took for the rapidly approaching Atlantic Wall to start to pan past the cockpit plas-glass, Von Simian made the bomb safe.

Tech Division were soon on the scene to take over and make everything safe, dropping the Judges back at the Sector House, were the garage hands once again gave them that look that said – Lawmasters – they don’t grown in a synthi-munce-vat. They would have to wait until tech returned their bikes from the No Jacket Required parking dock.

Operation Marmaduke – C Watch, Judge Able Carter, advises that the Lucy LaMore case has implicated Sector House Tech Division in the surveillance of City Hall officials. Sector SJS teams have been called in to interrogate the entire tech division. Be aware that delays and support for tech related calls may be un available for the next six hours.

Operation Total Judging – commitment to have more patrols, more visible Judge presence, and to cut down on personal crime in sector. Targeting violent criminals, rather than white collar crime. Each patrol has targets of violent criminals to arrest, Tappers, street robbers.
This also involves drug crime

UPDATE Media coverage of the 2T(FRU)T SkyBoard attack is returning positive citizen approval – Justice Central want to take advantage of this and will be sending a media team to interview the clones. Make yourself available for a ten minute piece to camera.

UPDATE Mass suicide at the League of Fatties protest, saw 50 ex pro eaters leap from the Billy Buster over sked and land on a school Hov bus. 375 people are dead, as the bus, and the fatties, went through the Wagner Meg Way safety barrier, and crashed into the Church of the Latter Day Taints.

Update Traffic Control on the Wagner Meg Way has halted traffic north and south. This traffic delay is expected to last six hours while repairs take place. All justice traffic has been rerouted, all civilian traffic has been halted. Watch out for Mopad rage. Judges will also take this opportunity to do a Vehicle to vehicle crime sweep.

Operation Corporate Manslaughter

Ongoing investigation into incompetence in business

ITEM – Another round of Job Interviews at Resyk is expected this week. Announcement of the lucky individual who will get the job is expected next week. Expect unrest at the temporary camp site outside of Resyk. Reports of backlog of wet work at Resyk are coming in. UPDATE It appears that there is some difficulty in getting the belts working again. All fresh bodies to be rerouted to Resyk in neighbouring sectors.

Reported levels of crime.

The Mae West muties picnic at the municipal park is today, out near the space port. Be on the look out for a back lash from the anti-mutant leagues failed sniper attack. All leave has been cancelled, and a double shift is expected from B and C watch as they provide cover for this event. Update – there appears to be a some collusion between the mutie picnic organisers and the violent disturbance at the No Jacket Required Bar earlier tonight. Confessions from those arrested indicate that the picnic may be a distraction for a mutie retaliation against the AML.

ITEM Murder. The Jack Daw Murders. Judge Ola People has identified fifteen recent murders that have now been attributed to this copy cat killer. Still no suspects.

Further outbreaks of gang violence at Tesla Block plaza in the last half hour. Rival block gangs en route.

Sector 75 Wally Squad reports that over 100 juves were caught in the crossfire on the Atlantic Wall earlier tonight, mistaken for zombies.

Going Underground

Returning to the sector house the clones were notified by Tech Division that the surveillance the freight zoom train that had been behaving erratically at the time of the radiation warning at the Tech Bazaar, has been attempting to contact the frequencies being monitored in trying to trace the financing for the sniper attack on the Chief Judge.

Data seems to show that the calls are being routed through Bermuda and the residence of Valentina Vasiliev and through a Hondo Cit finance company on Luna 1, Andrea Carretero Sierra being the name that was flagged up.

Further surveillance of Sierra is requested by the Chief Judge and Luna 1 judges are put on the case, and at your disposal.

Meanwhile, the final destination of the comms is back here in MC1, but still unable to pinpoint the location. Tech Division seem to be convinced that the interference on the line is dimensional in nature, if anything, the final destination may not even be in this reality.

All that leaves, is an investigation of the zoom itself.

The clones board a hov wagon, and speed out of the city, en-route, information trickles through that there was some sort of fire fight at the junk yard, the final stop for the zoom, the train started back up, and heading back to the city.

The H-wagon matches the speed of the zoom, and lowers the judges onto the roof of the rear carriage, and they cut their way into the carriage, moments before it enters the first set of tunnels under the Great Salt Beds of old Chi town, only an hour or so before it is due at Penn & Teller station.

Even as the Judges cut their way into the train, something rocks the train further forward, and as the light disappears at the tunnel mouth behind them, a shock-wave rumbles through the earth, and a burst of static over their comms. Seconds later, as Liefield kicks the door in, the first horrific reports of a bomb attack against Cursed Earth Iso Block 23 begin to trickle through.

Judge Von Simian pauses for a moment to tackle the onboard computers, trying to light up their way, and is physically thrown from the computer – this is something physical that has taken over the train, and no skill of his can wrest the control from whoever is now driving this train. With no control over the zoom, all that is clear, is that there is a strong atomic signal coming from the front of the train – all they had to do was get there.

Training kicked in for the street judges, and they swept quickly up the carriage, covering each other, Judge Foe taking point, silence falling over them, just the rumble of the zoom, the whoosh of the mag lev track below them, and a steady pounding from further up, which indicated that the zoom may have taken damage during the fire fight.

It was in pausing to determine where this may be, that the first scuttling sounds came from the darkness ahead. Out of the shadow, small robotic spiders sprang forth, dozens of them, crawling over the floors, walls and ceilings, chittering to themselves and eachother, probing, targeting, and heading straight for the clones.

Void was first to her lawgiver, and blew the first droid to pieces. Bliss did the same, while they targeted the next droids, the first targets began to audible tick – and self destructed, taking another passing droid with it. Another wave of the spiders crawled from the shadows.

The judges just opened up, firing at any target, and seconds later had dealt with all twenty four of the things. Von Simian maaged to grab one, and momentarily pause the self destruct, and sent it back the way it had come, and into the path of six war droids.

The war droids were more heavily armoured, but were only firing slugs. One or two shots got through the judges armour, but even the war droids posed little risk. It wasn’t until they got to the third carriage, and the plasma shooting mark three droids rolled out of the shadows, that the clones broke out into a sweat.

Judge Void snapped first, and fired off two hi-ex shots, taking out the droids, but tearing large holes in the carriage too. The force field holding the zoom together, and preventing anything loose in the tunnels from hitting it, pulsed purple below their feet, and the last of the droids in this carriage slipped into the hole, and bounced noisily along the base of the carriage until it exploded somewhere behind them.

Then the sirens and the strobe lights started, and a calm, mechanical voice anoouced that this car had been comprimised and was being disconnected. The judges leaped across the deadly gap and ran for the next compartment, Von Simian and Liefield barely making it, and sliding under the compartnment door as it slammed shut, leaving them on what should be the second last compartment.